I certainly hadn't until I met Palaeontology Curator Tim Ewin.  Scelidosaurus was the first whole dinosaur ever to be discovered (before that, only parts of dinosaurs had been found, and no-one had discovered any skulls)....and what's more, it was found right here in England, along the coast at Lyme Regis.

Scelidosaurus wasn't a massive dinosaur, diplodocus and the like were all ALOT bigger, but it had some fantastic armour plating which may have helped protect it from predators but also may have acted as a form of display, to deter opponents or attract a mate.

But what's so special about the Scelidosaur remains in Lyme Regis (which are continually being discovered as the cliffs slowly erode) is their quality.  The fossils have been brilliantly preserved and scientists are able to study the bodies of these animals in great detail, including their skin which remarkably has also been fossilised.  

So next time you're talking about your favourite dinosaur, spare a thought for the often (and wrongly) forgotten Scelidosaurus.  The first whole dinosaur ever to be discovered, found right here on our fair isle and with fossilised skin too - you don't get much better than that!

Scelidosaurus is the dinosaur at the bottom of the picture.  Megalosaurus is at the top.

As part of our Future for Nature season (which has been running on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the past few months) last Thursday I hosted an event about how much oil is left.  Needless to say, it was very thought-provoking.  Andy Fleet, from the mineralogy department, used to work in the petroloeum industry.  He explained how oil is formed over millions of years and how it is found and extracted.  For further information, he suggested visitors have a look at the website of The Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO) http://www.peakoil.net/  Here you'll discover the debate and discussion surrounding how much oil is left and whether we have reached a peak in oil production....or not.  To give you an idea of the varying estimates, have a look at the graph below.  This shows various predictions for when we will reach peak oil production, the majority of which suggest we have already reached the peak or will do so in the next ten years.  There are a few estimates that suggest a continuing increase in oil production, but whatever the conclusion, one thing is for sure.....at some point, whether today or tomorrow, oil production will decline and we need to be ready with an alternative. 

Graph sourced from The Oil Drum http://www.theoildrum.com/story/2006/11/13/225447/79